Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

THE ADVERTISER, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 - PAGE 3
only 800 metres from the main
street of Cowes and even
closer to the beach
acre home sites with mature
trees and land with water
views now selling
land from $139,900
Freecall 1800 61 61 06
www.seagrove.com.au
“sets a new
benchmark for
sustainable residential
development”
Urban Development Institute of
Australia Awards for Excellence
Cowes
Hairdressing & Beauty
Phone: 5952 1258
l Ladies & Mens Hairdressing
l
l
l
Weddings Hair Exentions Make up
l
l
Waxing & Tinting Manicures & Pedicures
l
l
Shellac Tuscan Spray Tan
l
l
Teeth Whitening Upper Body Piercing
1/134 Thompson Avenue, Cowes
Like us on facebook for photos,
products & latest news
AD24589
coweshair@waterfront.net.au
GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE
PROOF
Call Jane & John 5952 6873 \ 0413 168 958
JAJO’s Critter Sitters & Walkers
JD4739
l Pet Care at home
l Mail collected
l Plants watered
l Wheelie bins in/out
l All Bass Coast
l
l
Good rates Happy pets
l Pet Care at home
l Mail collected
l Plants watered
l Wheelie bins in/out
l All Bass Coast
l
l
Good rates Happy pets
Freshly Painted Boat!
Daily Seal Watching
BOOKINGS 1300 763 739
www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au
Emu Plains Market
Saturday, October 15, 8.30am Cowes
The Cape Woolamai Scenic Cruise is back!
AD25253
AD25050-V14
Shire execs take $800,000 more
THE cost of employing Bass Coast Shire’s se -
nior staff has quietly risen by about $800,000
in the past year.
The figure is revealed in the 2015-16 Bass
Coast Shire Council Annual Financial Report
which also shows that management numbers
have swelled from 11 in 2015 to 14 this year.
The report states that remuneration for se-
nior officers – those whose salaries exceed
$139,000 – rose from $1.378 million in 2015
to $2.14 million this year.
This does not include the salary for the chief
executive officer Paul Buckley whose salary in-
creased from the $290,000 to $299,999 brack-
et last year, into the $320,000 to $329,000
bracket in 2016.
At the same time the shire has gone into the
red.
Last year’s budget predicted a $3.8 million
surplus, but instead the shire has made a loss
of $1.2 million.
The council is also falling well short of main-
taining shire assets, according to council elec-
tion candidate Pam Rothfield.
“Each year assets wear out and depreciate –
such as roads, buildings and footpaths – the
shire is supposed to renew them at 100 per
cent, ideally more, but 100 per cent is essen-
tial,” Pam said.
“But the report shows their asset renewal is
54 per cent. That means our assets are falling
apart before our eyes.”
She said the financial report failed to be
transparent on the cost of consultants to rate-
payers.
The only relevant section is under “services,
consultants and other expenses”, which this
year is about $300,000 higher at $3.95 million.
“Senior staff have increased yet consultants
have also increased. Is senior management not
equipped to do a consultant’s job? If not, why
have them?” Pam said.
“Other councils’ annual reports give details
on specific costs of consultants. Why can’t we
do this? By combining it with ‘services and
other expenses’ it’s useless. It doesn’t tell us
anything.”
Efficiencies doubtful
Pam said in her view the shire was also mis-
leading ratepayers on publicised “efficiencies”.
“They budgeted $10 million on asset renewal
but it ended up coming in way less. The result
was they didn’t spend about $2.5 million which
they’d originally budgeted.
“But now they’re saying that $2.5 million is
a saving,” said Pam, whose career has been in
financial management and corporate gover-
nance.
“That’s misleading because it implies there
are efficiencies when there is no efficiency at
all. It’s under-spending on budgeted asset re-
newal - plain and simple.
“Our assets are deteriorating and our infra-
structure is inadequate - yet we have the funds
available in the bank. This is laughable when
we go back to the beginning of the year, when
threats were made from council that if we
pushed for the rate cap we would lose services.
“We are losing services and have inadequate
infrastructure only because council is holding
on to our money and not spending it where it
should.”
Cowes resident Peter McMahon, who attends
all council meetings, said the shire was hood-
winking householders by allocating money for
capital works and then not spending it.
“If you plan to do capital works and budget
for it, then do it. One of the biggest problems
with this council is they’re good at rhetoric but
not good at following through,” he said.
“They produce documents and statements
and then fail to be accountable and transpar-
ent on outcomes.”
Senior staff
Peter was critical of the increase in senior
staff numbers, and their associated wage in-
crease.
He said it was particularly galling given that
the shire had cut lower level staff numbers.
“So in effect they’ve got rid of the Indians but
got more chiefs,” Peter said.
“We now have more chiefs to control less In-
dians and at higher wages.
“Going to council meetings over the last few
months it’s like watching senior management
play tag team. They are only there for a couple
of items then get up and leave and then some-
one else comes in and you don’t know who they
are.”
Peter said for the first time the annual finan-
cial report confused the total number of full-
time staff employed by the shire.
In past years reports detail the effective full-
time number, including part-time and casual;
but this year they have not provided that fig-
ure.
“They are trying to manipulate the figures to
get across a story they wish to sell. The story is
they have made cuts, but my question is have
they cut full-time staff, or part-time.
“We need to know the effective full-time num-
ber of staff.”
Rhyll resident and former shire auditor John
Swarbrick said the financial report showed in-
come was down from budget by $4.12 million
and that expenditure was up by $899,000, a
poorer performance.
“We have been let down by our council and
the executives of council,” John said.
“The increase in senior management resulted
in not achieving budget. Let’s elect new blood
in October.”
Regarding asset renewal, Pam quoted from
the shire’s own budget papers which state
that: “A percentage greater than 100 indicates
council is maintaining its existing assets, while
a percentage less than 100 means its assets
are deteriorating faster than they are being re-
newed and future capital expenditure will be
required to renew assets.”
Bass Coast Shire Council was asked to re-
spond to the comments made this week in re-
lation to the shire’s financial report, but has
stated that it is unable to do so.
Steve Fuery, Bass Coast Shire Council senior
communications and engagement officer, is-
sued the following statement on Monday.
“As we are currently in the declared election
period, I am not able to respond to the ques-
tions. Council’s adopted election period policy
prohibits the distribution of electoral material.
“The definition of electoral material includes
responding to claims made by candidates, and
issues before the voters in connection with the
election.
“The Chief Executive Officer is happy to pro-
vide a full briefing and response after the elec-
tion period.”
Daniher’s Drive heads to the Island
A fundraiser, Daniher’s Drive, is being held
this month to raise funds for research into Motor
Neurone Disease (MND).
As the name suggests this event is the brain-
child of former AFL player and coach Neale Dani-
her.
Since being diagnosed with this disease in
2013, Neale has pledged to do what he can to
raise awareness for this insidious disease and for
the advancement of medical research.
To date there is no known cause or cure for
MND.
Statistics show that every 12 hours someone in
Australia is diagnosed with motor neurone dis-
ease.
Despite his prognosis, the former Essendon
player and Melbourne coach, has been a cham-
pion for the cause and the face of MND.
As well as the ‘Big Freeze at the MCG’, Neale
has been heavily involved in organising another
event, Daniher’s Drive.
Now in its second year, this drive involves a cav-
alcade of cars, each with its own team.
Such is its popularity that this year’s drive is
now full.
It is a fun-filled, four day road trip starting this
year in Lilydale and travelling through Victoria’s
high country of the Milawa and Bright, before
heading down to Gippsland’s coastline of Yar-
ram, Foster and Inverloch.
The vehicles will then pass through Wonthaggi
before spending the night of Saturday October 15
in San Remo where participants will attend a gala
Roaring 20’s night at the Silverwater Resort.
The fundraiser will be come to a halt the next
Sunday (October 16) at the Cowes oval with an
inclusive community event which is being organ-
ised by the Phillip Island Football Netball Club
(PIFNB) along with the Phillip Island and San
Remo Rotary Club.
The Daniher family will be there in force and is
hoping that this popular fundraiser will become
an annual event.
Last year Daniher’s Drive raised over $1 mil-
lion for Cure for MND Foundation, an amount
they expect to be exceeded this year.
The Daniher girls were guests of Rotary recently and were welcomed to the dinner meeting
at the San Remo Hotel by president elect Pam Rothfield (centre). Left to right, Daniher’s
Drive committee member Phil Reed, Lauren Daniher, her sister Rebecca and mother Jan.